The crowd hoots with laughter as the man in the tuxedo and oval glasses dances around the stage roasting a marshmallow over the flame of a burning $20 bill. Seconds later the blond haired 53-year-old man produces a lemon from a small box suspended by a rope from the ceiling. He cuts the fruit in half and reveals the same $20 bill that was used to roast the s'more.
The crowd erupts with applause and Joey Pipia bows dramatically, drawing another wave of laughter from his audience.
Pipia has been performing magic since he was 16 years old. He has since trained under a modern sorcerer, shared the stage with Jerry Seinfeld, escaped from a straight jacket while hanging 60-feet above the street and accurately predicted, word-for-word, the ending to "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."
On Jan. 29, Pipia will perform "The Magic Chamber," a unique 60-minute show staged in the middle of a 30-person audience at the Cirque Lab in Bellingham.
"It is a very different venue and context for a magician to do his tricks in front of you rather than away on a big stage," said Stefan Freelan, who has performed and traveled alongside Pipia for the past 10 years on the New Old Time Chautauqua tour.
At noon on the 29, Pipia will teach a magic workshop for adults in the community. "The Magic Chamber" will be at 8 p.m.
"Everything I've seen him do is incredible," said Della Moustachella, who is organizing the show. "He makes it look like actual magic. Even if you think you know what he is doing, it still looks impossible. I'm ready for my mind to be blown."
Pipia's magic isn't what you would expect of a magic show.
"It makes people wonder, which is ultimately what I think magic is about," Pipia said. "When they wonder, that's when I am doing my job."
He calls himself a Delusionist rather than a Magician.
"There is a coming together of absurd and wonder when I perform," he said. "After thinking about that, I was led to the conclusion that a traditional name wouldn't work."
Born and raised near New York City, Pipia said his biggest heroes while growing up were Abbott and Costello.
"I just thought they were the funniest human beings in the world," he said. "I remember thinking, 'That's really a great way to spend your time.'"
At age 16 he knew two pieces of magic. When a neighbor asked him to perform for a Cub Scout banquet, he began to explore the magic shops in New York City. He discovered Tannen's, the world's largest magic distributor at the time. After he managed to come up with a show for the banquet, he was hooked on magic.
"It drew me in," he said. "Since then performing and creating magic has been the one constant in my life."
A year later Pipia convinced Tannen's to hire him. One day, he told the store owner his dream was to learn magic from Slydini, a famous sorcerer and modern master of magic. He said the store owner immediately dialed the sorcerer.
"I was fortunate enough to learn how [Slydini] created magic and merged what he taught me with other magicians I knew, then added my own style to create a Delusionist," he said.
Pipia studied pre-medicine at New York University. While there he took an acting class and began performing stand-up comedy and improvisation in the city. He said he was a good pre-med student but was happier as a performer. He started training at the HB Acting Studio in New York under several teachers including Oscar-nominee William Hickey.
In 1984 Pipia moved to California to pursue performance as an actor, magician and stand-up comedian. He met his wife Jenny and attended the Joan Brown Acting Studio.
"[At the studio] I learned how to create a moment of truth on stage and to be fully present, which is one of the things that helps me most with my magic," he said.
After living in California for more than seven years, the Pipias traveled around the country in a motor home and eventually rooted in their current home of Port Townsend, Wash.
Pipia's daughters Phina, 23, and Sophie, 19, now live in New York where they manage their own theater company. Pipia said he would love to work for them someday.
About 13 years ago, Pipia started "The School for Young Actors" in Port Townsend. He now owns The Chameleon Theater, where he performs and teaches magic.
"I really like to teach," he said. "It is one of my favorite things to do."
He began to travel with The New Old Time Chautauqua educational circus 10 summers ago. Every summer the troupe of performers travels to under-served communities to volunteer, teach and entertain.
Joannie Murayama, who used to organize the Chautauqua tours, said Pipia brought a real professionalism to the tour.
"His magic is mind boggling and exciting," she said.
"The Magic Chamber" started in 2007 as a one-night show presenting the prediction of the Harry Potter book as the finale. The show sold out and ended up running for a year, making it the longest running show in Port Townsend, Pipia said.
"The challenge for magicians is that the audience gets tired after the 25th trick in a row," said Freelan, who worked with Pipia in the Chautauqua tours. "What interests me as an audience member is when they are really entertaining or comedic. Joey does his slights of hand and has nice stage presence, but he also turns his routine into a hilarious comedy show."
Freelan was the stage manager for the Chautauqua tour while Pipia was performing.
"When I think of the people who are a headache to work with and those who are fun, Joey is always one of the fun ones," he said. "He is easygoing and always willing to help out."
Moustachella said the first time she met Pipia was as an audience member at one of his shows.
"He was hilarious, and it was magical to watch his tricks from so close and still not know how he was doing it," she said. "He will inspire you and make you laugh."
For more information on Pipia's upcoming shows visit www.joeypipia.com
Written for the Western Front, Jan. 28, 2011 but never published
